Starting at the end

My year of writing in my book entitled Opportunity comes to a close today as this is the last page in the last chapter (Chapter 12, Page 31).

I opened Opportunity on New Year’s Day, 2011  and tonight at midnight on New Year’s Eve, this year of opportunity concludes.

In a few hours, 2011 will be relegated to the past.  It was a year to remember – a year our gracious Father God granted me to use as an opportunity to share my thoughts, my insights, my inspiration, and a bit of my life with you, my readers.

Some of you are the dearest of friends, some of you have become my friends even though we’ve never met face to face, and some of you I don’t know at all.   Regardless of your standing as my reader, I thank you for the privilege of entering your world via this blog.

I pray you’ve been blessed with a few laughs (I’ll admit I’m not much of a humor writer, but I am funny in person – at least I think so), some ideas to contemplate, and some perspectives that opened a few opportunities for you as well.

I believe God lovingly provides all of us new opportunities as surely as dawn breaks through each dark night into daylight.  What we do with those opportunities is ours to choose.

I ran across this poem one day and I placed it in my worn, dog-eared, trusty notebook of quotes.  But I’d like to share it with you, especially if you’re feeling discouraged or you’ve misplaced your hope or your dreams.

Opportunity

By Berton Braley

With doubt and dismay you are smitten,

You think there’s no change for you, son?

Why, the best books haven’t been written,

The best race hasn’t been run.

The best score hasn’t been made yet,

The best song hasn’t been sung,

The best tune hasn’t been played yet;

Cheer up, for the world is young!

Tomorrow we launch out into a brand new year, a new chance, a young world of opportunities.  I don’t make resolutions.  I’m not diligent in keeping them, but God has been showing me what I need to focus on.

I’m choosing how I will approach 2012 with a concept He’s placed in my heart and mind and I’ll share that with you in my next post and in the year to come.  Never fear, my signature book of Opportunity continues on, but there will be a new byword just for the new year.

So until then, Happy New Year!  May you be blessed in 2012 with much love, peace, and joy.

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language

And next year’s words await another voice.

What we call the beginning is often the end.

And to make an end is to make a beginning.

The end is where we start from.” ~ T.S. Eliot

©2011 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Mutual admiration society

Reader Appreciation Award

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” ~  Voltaire

Another year soon comes to a close…a year of writing in my book called Opportunity.  So many of you have joined me on this journey by subscribing and reading my posts this past year.

As we say goodbye to 2011, I think it’s fitting that I write about another blog award, The Reader Appreciation Award, bestowed upon me from my friend, Georgette at Georgette Sullin’s Blog.

I appreciate this gracious lady -not because she’s presented awards to me – because she’s a faithful reader and ardent commenter of this blog.  Reading her kind thoughts and tidbits of info she leaves in my comment box gives me pleasure.   Receiving a notification that she’s written a comment on a post I’ve just published is like finding a little surprise gift left on my front porch.

This recent award is slightly different from all of the others because it recognizes your blog’s top readers by the number of comments they’ve posted and really, where would we writers be if we had no readers?   We would not receive feedback, suggestions, encouragement, or support if it weren’t for these wonderful people.

I, for one, never miss reading Georgette’s blog and because she writes about such interesting topics, I usually comment to let her know how much I enjoy her writing or mention something I want to share with her.   My comments earned me a spot on her reader’s appreciation award post.

When she honored me with this award, she blessed me with her descriptive words:  “This reader shares her faith journey through her online journal. It is thoughtful, reflective and beautifully written. I enjoy each of her stories that usually focus on family, among my favorite topics.”

Thank you, Georgette, for the lovely sentiment and the award!  But enough about me, this post is about you, you, and you, my readers.  Now it’s my turn to show my appreciation to top readers by passing on the Reader Appreciation Award to these honorees.  The following are the rules for this award:

• Award your top 6 bloggers who have commented the most.

• Be thankful.

• You cannot award someone who has already been awarded. And you cannot give the award back to me.

• Don’t forget to tell the bloggers you’ve awarded.

• If you don’t want to pass on this award, that’s okay too.

Blog statistics rate top readers by the total comments they’ve made, not how many times they’ve read my blog.  Actually my first two top readers are Georgette and Dianna over at These Days of Mine (another of my faves!), but since they have already received this award, I can’t “re-gift” it back to them.   I appreciate them both very much though for all the encouragement they graciously bestow on my writing endeavors.

My next top reader, Just Me, is a dear friend from my days of living in the Pacific Northwest and alas, she doesn’t blog.  But she deposits meaningful and sweet words on my posts to let me know what she thinks.  I am most grateful for her friendship and the thoughts she leaves for me to enjoy.

So my next top readers who also are fellow bloggers include: [drum roll, please]

1. My good friend, Homestead Ramblings, with whom I connected shortly after I started my WordPress blog.  We started an instant kinship and I know we’ll be friends for life.  When I was feeling a real disconnect with many things in my world,  God caused our paths to cross.  I’m so grateful for HR’s friendship, her caring consideration,  and her always supportive comments.
2. Susan, who writes Coming East, gets me.  Her thoughtful comments make me laugh and nod my head in agreement.  I sure hope I do the same for her because I’ve enjoyed getting to know her through her blog.
3. My lovely and gentile friend, Saturday Evening Front Porch is another buddy I’ve had since the early stages of my blog.  Through our empty nest connection, we found each other, and we learned that we have much in common, even though I’m a Northern gal and she’s a Southern belle.  I always appreciate her humor and her gracefulness.  She’s a gem.
4. Montucky is a fairly new friend.  He takes the most breathtakingly beautiful photographs out in his home state of Montana.  Even though my photos are very amateur and I use a simple point and shoot digital camera, he encourages me with his kind comments.  Thank you, Montucky!
5. Patty over at The Fearless Cooking Club likes my blog often and that plus her comments make me smile.  Don’t go to her blog if you’re hungry because she posts the most amazing pictures of  the delicious food she makes and you’ll find yourself drooling!
6. Two fairly new blogging friends tied for 6^th place with their comment totals –  HappyKidsHappyMom who writes Play 101 and Yen at One Thing.  Both of these younger ladies make my day sparkle when I read their comments, and I love the inside peeks they give me into their lives through their blogs.  Thank you, sweet ladies!

I know there are many, many more faithful readers who click on my little blog-space out there in cyber world but don’t leave comments.  My stats tell me you’re out there…reading.  And I thank you wholeheartedly.  The leaps my statistics chart demonstrates when you visit my blog makes my grateful-meter jump too!

So to all my loyal readers, I’m not sure why you keep coming back to read my rantings observations on life, but thank you, thank you very much for doing so.  I appreciate each and every one of you, even if I don’t know who you are.  (Just a hint – why not leave a message telling me why you keep coming back?)

As I close my book of Opportunity (2011), we’ll soon embark on a new adventure in the new year – 2012 – just around the corner.  I hope you come along with me for the ride and join me in our mutual admiration society.

 ©2011 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

To capture a heart

“Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart.”  ~Author Unknown

I surreptitiously observe him as he so capably takes care of the matter at hand.

My eyes take in the sight of him, so tall, so strong, and so athletic.

My mind marvels at his accomplishments, his intelligence, his confidence, but most importantly, his devoted heart for Christ.

And lastly, my emotions overwhelm me because wasn’t it just yesterday that this grown, mature man was my baby son?

I blinked and the adorable little baby I cradled in my arms with kisses and snuggles became an adventurous, fun-loving little boy, who still loved cuddling and mama’s hugs.

I blinked yet again and that sweet little boy turned into a stubborn, strong-willed teenager who, even though often tempted not to, still managed to obey and respect his parents and endure his mama’s embraces.

Another blink, and that teenager changed into an independent young adult man, capable of taking care of himself and embarking on a career with great responsibility, but still asking advice from mama and papa here and there.

And now, the time has come.   Last month, our son, this man, informed us during a serious discussion about life that he is in love with his girlfriend.  Matter of fact, he is so much in love, he shared with us his plans to ask her parents for her hand in marriage.

During our conversation about this serious step, what constitutes true love and the commitment of marriage, he maturely answered our questions and assured us that he is more than ready to meet the responsibility of being a providing husband and someday a father.

My mama’s heart ached with this knowledge, not because I wasn’t elated for him or totally in agreement about how wonderful his devoted young lady is, but because my little boy has surely become an adult man.  He is my youngest child, yet he most assuredly is not a child.  And I can hardly believe that this time has arrived so soon.

Gracious girlfriend’s parents also posed questions for our son when he asked for their blessing to propose to their daughter. They willingly granted their permission while agreeing not to reveal their discussion to her since he desired to surprise his beloved with the proposal.

Our son immediately launched into designing her engagement ring (he is a mechanical engineer with a creative side and such things give him pleasure).  He emailed us the computer model design of the ring to view and I could see his loving touches in it.

While Son and Girlfriend were here for  Christmas Eve, he secretly showed the beautiful ring to us. He also disclosed his romantic proposal plan which would occur in her hometown in the state next door on the day after Christmas.

I’ve silently watched the two of them together when they’ve come to visit the empty nest.  Even from first meeting, I could ascertain that this lovely young lady had captivated my son.  But I also could see that this wasn’t merely infatuation or a superficial attraction, there was a deeper level of kinship between them.

She hadn’t just caught his eye, she captured his heart.   But the bond that ties them together so perfectly is their love for their Savior, Jesus Christ;  He is first in their relationship and that makes a huge difference.

The apple of my son’s eye and captor of his heart will be good for him; she is strong, mature, and independent and their personalities complement one another.  She will help motivate him when he needs it and together they will be a good team.

Three nights ago, this excitedly ecstatic couple phoned to tell us she said yes!  (“Why wouldn’t she?” this mother thought.)

And so another wedding will take place in our family, and we will gain a beautiful (inside and out) daughter-in-law.   On this 29^th page, Chapter 12, in my Opportunity book, I couldn’t be more happy, even though tears trickle from my eyes flooding my vision as I write this – no, not tears of sorrow,  tears of joy.

I’m delightfully contented because Mama’s Empty Nest is filling up with more family members.  As our circle enlarges, my heart swells with love.

“Love will make your eyes shine, your face beam, your heart sing, and your life full.” ~ Author Unknown

©2011 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Wordless Wednesday: After Christmas white sale

 

 ©2011 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

The aftermath

‘Twas  two days after Christmas and all though the house,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.  (Callie’s a good deterrent.)

The stockings were empty, abandoned without care

Because Christmas was over and they were quite bare.

The presents that previously decorated the tree,

Were spread out over the living room for all to see.

Wrapping paper wrinkled and stuffed in the trash,

Proved evidence that there had been a big bash.

When what to Mama’s eyes did suddenly appear

But mountains of dirty towels and sheets she did fear.

So off to the washing machine she flew in a flash,

Stuffed it full of linens and tightened her robe sash.

And sitting in her kitchen with a hot cup of tea,

She surveyed her quiet nest where once was activity.

The goodies were eaten; there were only a few left,

But that certainly wouldn’t cause her to feel bereft.

The children were off to their work and their play,

But soon they’ll fly back home for yet another day.

Mama’s not sad as she straightens the nest,

But Callie’s looking lonely without all the rest.

This Christmas was different, yet joy reigned here,

And hopefully, that joy will last into the New Year.

 ©2011 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Good tidings we bring

Merry Christmas to all my faithful readers from Mama’s Empty Nest!

I’m thankful for all of you and I pray you have a blessed day today on this 25th page, Chapter 12, in my book entitled Opportunity.

I’ll be memed for Christmas

Christmas Eve will find me…reading my friends’ blogs on my laptop.

Yep, I’m sitting here on Page 24, Chapter 12, in my Opportunity book in my easy chair (resting my hip) with my feet propped up on the matching ottoman and I’m waiting for the Christmas Eve festivities to commence at our house.

Two blogging friends, Dianna at These Days of Mine, and Georgette at Georgette Sullin’s Blog have posted a Christmas meme and invited their readers to join them.   A meme, in the blogging world, is a topic that spreads from one blogger to another.

After reading their posts, I thought it might be fun be “memed.”  (If there is such a word?)  So read on for my answers to the Christmas meme questions.

1. What is a Christmas song you can listen to even in June?   It’s hard to narrow down the field here because honestly, I could listen to almost any Christmas song year-round.  So for me, it’s a toss-up between “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “Joy to the World,” my absolute favorite Christmas carol.

2. Hot chocolate, eggnog or mulled wine? Well, eggnog grosses me out,  I don’t think I’ve ever tasted mulled wine, so I’ll have to answer hot chocolate, even though I’d rather have hot tea (peppermint would be good!).

3. When do you put your Christmas decorations up? We always start decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving but never, ever before Thanksgiving is officially over.  I like to enjoy Thanksgiving and give it due honor.

4. What are you having for Christmas dinner? Ham, it is.  We also always have twice-baked potatoes, a couple kinds of vegetables, hot dinner rolls, a special multi-layered jello salad that I make every Christmas because it’s so pretty, and lots of cookies for dessert.

5. What’s your favorite Christmas tradition? When hubby and I were young marrieds, we visited an ice cream shop where we savored a special Christmas sundae.  Once we had our children, we began a tradition of making those sundaes every Christmas Eve before we attend church candlelight service.  We’ll be eating them tonight!

6. Have you ever gone caroling? Oh yes, Christmas caroling was definitely on our holiday agenda when I was growing up.  After hubby and I got married and had our children, our family always participated in caroling with our churches.  I’ve got lots of caroling memories stored in my memory bank, but in the last few years,  we haven’t gone caroling.   I miss it, so that’s something we need to  start again.

7. When did you discover the truth about Santa? What truth??

8. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? It’s a hodge-podge of miscellany: a couple cherished ornaments from my parents’ tree, gifts from friends, ornaments we purchased on trips, with a few homemade ones thrown in for good measure, multi-colored twinkle lights, red bead garlands, and until this year, an angel topper  (but her lights burned out permanently this year, so now there’s a brand spanking new lighted star).

9. What’s the best thing about Christmas? For me, the best thing is spending time with my family while we celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth.

10. What do you want for Christmas? JOY, JOY, JOY!

Perhaps you’d like to play along with your own Merry Christmas meme.  Or, if you’d like to respond to any of the above questions, feel free to do so in the comments.

©2011 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Faith is…

“Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.”  ~Voltaire

Faith is a young woman believing an angel’s unbelievable message.  ~ Luke 1: 26-38

Faith is a man, taking that young woman who was with child – a child not biologically his – as his wife anyway.  ~ Matthew 1:18-25

Faith is taking a journey away from home to a different village and finding no room to stay when a baby is due to be born.   ~ Luke 2:4-7

Faith is shepherds hearing an astonishing message from a host of heavenly beings and then seeking a newborn child.  ~ Luke 2:8-20

Faith is waiting for years to behold a long-promised Messiah. ~ Luke 2:25-35

Faith is following a star.  ~ Matthew 2:1-12

Faith is believing a tiny babe came to earth to save us all. ~ John 3:16-21

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” ~ Isaiah 9:6

And faith is knowing He is coming again.  ~ Matthew 24:30-31

In my year-long book called Opportunity, Chapter 12, Page 23,  I pray for all of you to have the most blessed Christmas season – one full of faith.

“A faith is a necessity to a man. Woe to him who believes in nothing.” ~  Victor Hugo

©2011 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Joy in my world

“Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat”….okay, I’ll admit I’m starting to look like the Christmas goose because lately there have been just too many goodies surrounding me to nosh on.

But seriously, “Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat. Please to put a penny in the old man’s hat.”

Every time hubby and I drop some spare change in those red Salvation Army buckets, I pray that someone truly needy will experience a little bit of love and joy this Christmas.

“Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat.  Please to put a penny in the old man’s hat.  Please to put a penny in the old man’s hat.  If you have no penny, a ha’penny will do, if you have no ha’penny, a farthing will do.  If you have no farthing, then God bless you!”

I’m praying today in my book of Opportunity, Chapter 12, Page 22, that God will bless those who virtually have nothing.  Many of our brothers and sisters in the world will experience Christmas Day with not even a simple present while some of us gobble up gifts like gluttons.

During a discussion with my co-workers yesterday, I was reminded of something I believe is worth sharing.  My boss’ sister recently returned from a mission trip to India and that initiated a conversation about those who live in third world countries.   Shortly after Christmas, two of my young friends will journey for the second year in a row to Haiti on a short-term trip giving aid where it’s sorely needed.

As I  sat comfortably in our office with my co-workers, well-fed, well-clothed, and…well, just well and conversed about our loved ones’ trips, we agreed that the sights seen in those countries must stay with the traveler forever.  The poor, the sick, the abused, the needy, the mistreated, the hungry – how could you forget them?

During mission trips, my own children have witnessed firsthand those who are so very less fortunate in far-off lands like Mozambique, Honduras, Belize, and even our southern neighbor, Mexico.

Yet amid all the misery and incredible poverty, I believe every one of these traveling missionaries would tell you the same thing – when they journey abroad to minister to these poorest of God’s children, they are amazed that the least of these, who lack material wealth, have the most incredible joy when they worship God.

I distinctly remember when our son returned from such a trip.  He seemed almost too overwhelmed to talk about what he’d seen, but he shared one aspect impacting him the most about those to whom he ministered.

“They literally have nothing, but they are so happy!” our son said with amazement.

Those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord worshiped Him with a zeal that my son had not witnessed before.  When these brothers and sisters in foreign lands, even though they have so very little, worship the King, they worship with gladness and exquisite exultation.  Their hearts are bursting with happiness even if their stomachs ache from hunger, and they are so grateful for the smallest of gifts.

Compare that to those of us who live with such comfort and extravagance here in the USA.  We, who have more than enough, grumble and grouch, whine and complain, and overspend on Christmas gifts, decorations, clothing, and food we don’t really need.

Who among us really understands the true meaning of Christmas?

Those of us who must have the finest decorations bedecking our halls, the larder bursting over in abundance with more food than we could ever possibly need, our shining Christmas trees surrounded by scads of gaily wrapped presents?

Those shoppers who scurry and hurry to find the ‘perfect’ gift no matter what it costs?

Or those fellow believers who live in humble shacks, with one set of clothes on their backs, maybe enough food for one meal, and no presents, no decorations, no gadgetry, no fine dining?

There is one sure thing they possess – the understanding of the most amazing gift ever given at Christmas to mankind.  The gift of salvation.  And I wonder if that’s the one gift we overlook this time of year?  I know I am guilty of that.

Christmas is coming.  There will be an abundance of delicious food, shiny decorations, gifts wrapped in pretty paper, and much merry making at our house as all our children will be home here in Mama’s Empty Nest for celebration.

But you know what I really want to fill my house?  JOY.  True unspeakable, undeniable, unimaginable, unadulterated JOY! The kind of exultation that the shepherds must have felt when the angels appeared in the night sky.

“While shepherds watched their flocks by night,

Glad tidings brought an angel bright:

How great their joy, great their joy,

Joy, joy joy!

Joy, joy joy!

Glory to God in heav’n on high.

Glory to God in heav’n on high.”

And that delight, that kind of elation, that kind of true joy only comes from receiving the gift of salvation, knowing Jesus on a personal level, and hearing His voice as we quiet our hearts and our celebrations to listen for Him and Him alone.

May you be blessed with that kind of joy this Christmas.

©2011 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Wordless Wednesday: Believe

 ©2011 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com